The United States has welcomed North Korea’s decision to use the social networking service “Twitter.”

State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said Tuesday that the U.S. welcomes North Korea to Twitter and the networked world.

He said “the Hermit Kingdom will not change overnight, but technology once introduced can't be shut down. Just ask Iran.” He was referring to how Iranian dissidents informed the world through Twitter about the situation in their homeland.

The North opened a Twitter account last Thursday. The account is operated by the North’s Committee for Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland and currently has garnered more than 47-hundred followers.

Observers say the North’s move to use social media as a channel for propaganda comes in an apparent bid to win the hearts of South Koreans who are skeptical over Seoul’s handling of the sinking of the “Cheonan” naval ship.